The company that I see the most is the Royal Ballet. I fully support Michael Kaiser's strategy that it is like an art gallery with three wings - one for the 19th C rep, one for the 20th C rep and one for work by current choreographers. Incidentally, for the Royal, the weakest element here is the third, rather than the first two. Paris Opera Ballet is probably the Company where this mission statement is most closely put into practise - another company that is generally considered to have been revitalised by the overseas influence of Nureyev. <P>I have seen it expressed elsewhere that the Royal should be a heritage company devoted primarily to the work of Ashton and the classics ie go back to the situation around 30 to 40 years ago. I don't think this is desirable. Firstly I would like to see more resources given to current choreographers, such as Forsythe and the younger UK generation, to ensure the development of ballet. Most of the dancers that I have spoken to certainly want to maintain or increase the amount of new work. Secondly, a lot of us here judge MacMillan to be a more interesting choreographer than Ashton. This may come as a surprise to readers in the US, where MacMillan generally seems to have a low reputation.<P>Does the Royal perform Ashton's work as well as it once did? I wasn't around then, but I suspect not, although 'Marguerite and Armand' has been well received. However, Ashton's bizarre arrangements for the ownership of his works, and the resulting lack of a Trust or the firm and knowledgable hand of someone like Deborah MacMillan is the main reason why his rep is at risk. Having said that the RB and the BRB are performing much Ashton at the moment, which is good to see. Both companies make extensive use of older dancers from outside the Company when reviving these works.<P>To summarise, I think that the current strategy of the three wings is right - I do want to see Forsythe as well as MacMillan, Ashton and 'Giselle'. Combined with the recuitment of outstanding overseas dancers like Tamara Rojo, I suspect that this does have the consequence that the style of the Company will be more international than the days when Ashton and the classics were the mainstay. <P>Thus I agree with dirac that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages.<P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited October 28, 2000).]
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